Solomon House

Joseph Solomon was a developer who had a row of five houses built along S. 17th Street; the only one still standing today is the one in which Solomon lived, at the south end of the row. Joseph was not found living in Philadelphia in the U.S. census records for 1880 or 1900. There were several men of that name living in Philadelphia in this era; the one residing at 132 S. 17th street in the 1890 city directory was Joseph J. Solomon, who worked at or for the Bingham House Company. The Bingham House was a massive hotel, office building, and train station that once stood at 1026-1044 Market Street in Philadelphia; the core was built in 1812 and the building was demolished in 1922. A Joseph J. Solomon lived elsewhere in Philadelphia by 1904, at 1907 N. 8th Street; he worked at J. Solomon & Son, as did Jacob Solomon; Jacob also lived at the N. 8th Street residence.

Apartments for rent in the building, at 132 S. 17th Street, were advertised for rent in 1920 by the firm Yarrow & Van Pelt. The newspaper ad touted "Desirable unfurnished apartments; immediate occupancy; reasonable rentals."

Frank Furness (1839-1912) was born in Philadelphia and went on to study architecture in New York; he fought in the Civil War before returning to Philadelphia. He partnered with George W. Hewitt (1841-1916) to form Furness & Hewitt in the 1870s. Furness also designed a library building for the University of Pennsylvania that still stands, as well as other Philadelphia buildings that have not survived, including the B & O Railroad Station.

The Solomon House is faced with Philadelphia pressed brick and rests on a foundation of faced stone. The house features a belt course of terra cotta and a red slate mansard roof. A large chimney is on the Moravian Street side of the building. There are some quirky details, including a large calla lily supporting a spur wall fragment that divides this double house from the neighboring house, and the terminal details of the roof. The two-story, tile-covered box window overlooking Moradian Street and the heavy articulated brick cornice are other distinctive features of the building. The house was listed in the National Register for its significance in architecture, as a well-preserved example of the city house of its era and for its association with the architect Frank Furness.

Boyd, William H. 1904. Boyd's Co-Partnership and Business Directory of Philadelphia City. Philadelphia, PA. C.E. Howe Company, 1904.

Bromley, G. W. Atlas of Philadelphia. 1895. Digitized and geo-rectified by Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network.

Hotpads. 130 S 17th Street Apt 1404, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Hotpads. January 1st 2020. Accessed December 11th 2020. https://hotpads.com/130-s-17th-st-philadelphia-pa-19103-1md844r/1404/pad.

James Gopsill's Sons. Gopsill's Philadelphia City Directory for 1890. Philadelphia, PA. James Gopsill's Sons, 1890.

Moss, Roger W. Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.

Philadelphia Architects & Buildings. Bingham House Hotel, Overview. January 1st 2020. Accessed December 17th 2020. https://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pj_display.cfm/15411.

Redfin. 130 S 17th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, Redfin. Accessed December 11th 2020. https://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/130-S-17th-St-19103/home/45388747.

Thomas, George E. NRHP Nomination of Solomon House, 130-132 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, PA. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1978.

Yarrow & Van Pelt. "132 South 17th Street." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) August 28th 1920. Night Extra ed, Classifieds sec, 15-15.